Safety
by HobbitOfRohan
Summary: A collection of ongoing headcanons about Percy Jackson living a safe and normal life, away from the drama of gods. Our little hero needs a rest.
1. Chapter 1

Percy bent over the countertop. His strong, scarred arms supported him, and a sleek black strand of hair fell in front of his eye. Beside him was his sister, just turned five. Her chubby hands moved the plain, still warm cookies around so they were places just so. She giggles at the colors of frosting laid before her, reaching across the table.

"Here you go, Blu," says Percy, using her affectionate nickname. His fingers close around one of the icing tubes, and slides it back towards her. The color is red, and comes out too quickly when she squeezes it over the cookie. The sugary paste covers the cookie, and begins to drip sloppily down the sides. Upset by the mistake, Blu begins crying, deep green eyes welling with tears.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," says Percy kindly. "Come here, do you need a hug?" His sister nods wordlessly, turning and letting his warm arms envelop her. She sniffs into his oversized swim team sweatshirt, and closes her eyes. For a brief moment, Percy rests his head on hers, taking in the warm and her smell of pine.

"Alright," he says, pulling away. "We can fix this cookie, okay? Look, we'll make it better." Reaching down, he used a finger to scrape the extra frosting from the side. He popped it in his mouth. Blu stared up with a look of shock as Percy licked the frosting from his finger. Then, her face lit up. Clapping her hands together, she grinned.

"Percy, you ate the frosting, you silly!" Giggling, she turned and did the same with the excess frosting. The red coloring was spread over her mouth, and a tiny smudge of it on her nose. Percy couldn't hold in his laughter. For the first time in a long time, he really laughed. Deep belly laughs, rolling through the room and filling up the space to the ceiling.

Blu was confused for a second, but then joined him. She laughed so hard she snorted, tiny eyes shut with hilarity. For a second in time, there was just the two of them. For that mere moment, all the hurts, the scars, the death, the quests had been erased from Percy's mind. It was just him, his little sister, and something so minorly funny that it caused a laugh attack.


	2. Bakery

Sunlight streams through the windows, casting a golden glow through the flour in the air. Mrs. Jackson works hard at the front of the counter, hair pulled up in a neat bun. Her eyes are bright and kind as she hands a box of baked goods to a frazzled mom and her 3 kids.

"Enjoy, the treats, ma'am," she says. Then, lower; "I added an extra cookie in there, just in case." The woman smiles gratefully before leaving. As she steps away, another person approaches the counter. It's Paul Blofis, a grin spread goofily across his face.

"Hello!" says Sally happily, pretending she has no idea who it is, "what can I get for you today, sir?"

"Four blue macaroons, please," says the man, "special order for my beautiful family." Sally smiles even wider, turning and shouting to Percy working in the back of the bakery.

"Make that 6 blue macaroons, Percy!"

Percy, his eyes sparkling with happiness, turned back to the cutting board in front of him. The inside of the bakery was warm, filled with the smell of cooking goods. His dark hair was sprinkled with flour, and the apron over him had streaks of frosting over it. A smudge of cake filling stood out on his cheekbone. A crooked smile was on his face as he worked, stirring the ingredients.

Outside, the everyday hustle and bustle went on. People entered the shop, little bell ringing on the door. Sally and Paul continued to flirt over the counter in between customers. Conversation went on in the background, and a little baby giggled in its stroller, reaching to the glass that held brightly colored pastries.

Percy's hands, that once held bloodied swords, now worked delicately to shape the dessert. His muscled arms, crisscrossed with scars and stretchmarks, were dusted with flour. He wiped his hands on his apron, eyes furrowed in concentration. Still, the faint smile did not fade from his lips.

Another moment in time, in which he was safe.


End file.
